Hair trimming and singeing device



Sept. 26, 1933. M. BAYNHAM HAIR TRIMMING AND SINGEING DEVICE Filed April15, 1951 flair/M30522 Patented Sept. 26, 1933 PATENT OFFICE HAIRTRIMMING AND SINGEING DEVICE Lehr Marlin Baynham, Mount Carmel, Pa.

Application April 15, 1931. Serial No. 530,409

1 Claim.

My invention relates to hair trimming devices and particularly to animproved device for simultaneously severing and singeing the hair.

The usual method employed by barbers, when it is desired to singe thehair, is to first trim the hair with shears and afterwards singe theends of the hair by means of a lighted taper. I am aware that attemptshave been made to provide a device for simultaneously severing andsingeing the hair, but such devices, so far as I am aware, have various,inherent objectionable features which render them more or lessobjectionable or dangerous in use. Among these objections are theirliability to readily get out of order, their liability to cause burnsand shocks to either the barber or the patron, or both, their liabilityto become clogged with hair, and their inability to maintain asubstantially uniform heat when used upon light or heavy hair, andvarious other features.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of simple constructionwhich may be readily used by the barber to simultaneously sever andsinge the hair. A further object of my invention is to provide a deviceas mentioned which may be used to sever the hair at any desired length.A further object of my invention is to provide a device as mentioned ofsuch construction that the same will not become clogged with the severedand singed hair. A further object of my invention is to provide a deviceof the character mentioned which will maintain the severing and singeingelement at a substantially uniform heat, irrespective of the characterof the hair being treated,

whether it be thin or thick. A further object of my invention is toprovide a device of the class under consideration which shall have nodetachable parts to become accidentally loosened, which mightconsequently result in burning or shocking either the barber or patron.A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the classmentioned which shall be of simple construction, which will not readilyget out of order and which may be marketed at a comparatively low cost.Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With these objects in view my invention consists generally in a handledframe comprising a back, a pair of laterally extending arms between theends of which is extended a severing and singeing element, an electricconductor in said frame with said element in series therewith, saidelement being an integral part or" said circuit and the entire circuitbeing insulated except the severing element. My invention furtherconsists in a device as mentioned in which the conductors adjacent thesevering element, that is, within the arms, are enlarged to constituteheat reservoirs, whereby a more uniform temperature of the severingelement may be maintained. My invention further consists in a hairsevering and singeing device including an electrically heated conductor,constituting the severing and singeing element, said element beinglaterally tapered to form a longitudinal severing edge to facilitate arapid and neat trimming of the hair. My invention further consists invarious details of construction and arrangements of parts all as will befully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claim.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of a hair trimming and singeing deviceembodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the same, and

Figure 3 is a transverse section on substantially the line 3-3 of Fig.2.

Referring now to the drawing, 1 indicates the handle of the device,which is substantially integral with the supporting frame, said framecomprising a back 2 and a pair of substantially parallel arms 3 and 4.The handle and frame are preferably formed integrally and of insulatingmaterial. Within the handle and frame is a conductor 5 having terminals6 at the end of the handle to be engaged by the usual socket connection'7 on a cord 8 through which an electric current is supplied to thedevice. Extending from the end of the arm 3 to the end of the arm 4 isthe hair severing and singeing element 9, which is preferably formedintegrally with and in series with the conductor 5. The conductor 5extends from one of the terminals 6 longitudinally through the handleportion 1, through the back portion 2 as at 10, longitudinally throughthe arm 3 as at 11, to the end of the arm where it is continued to thesevering element 9, thence to the arm 4, longitudinally through the arm4 as at 12 and then through the handle 1 to the opposite terminal 6. Itshould be noted that the insulating material of which the body of thedevice is formed is continued, as at the ends of the arms, so as tocover the ends of the member 9 where they join the conductor portions 11and 12, as indicated at 13. By this arrangement it is obvious that noportion of the conductor except that which is used for severing andsingeing hair is in any manner exposed, and therefore that the danger ofburning or shocking the patron or the barber is eliminated.

The member 9 is preferably laterally tapered, as shown in Fig. 3,forming hair severing edges 14 which extend longitudinally of the member9 from end to end thereof. With the hot severing element formed in thismanner, quicker and neater work can be accomplished by the barber.

It should be noted that the severing element 9 is free from any elementsadjacent thereto, so that there is no possibility of the device becomingclogged with the severed and singed hair.

In using the device it is sometimes employed in trimming the lighterportions of the hair and again for trimming those portions which aredense and heavy. In order to maintain a substantially uniformtemperature of the cutting element, I enlarge the portions 11 and 12 ofthe conductors to increase their mass and thereby to constitute heatreservoirs, the heat being conducted thereto from the element 9 when thedevice is working in the lighter portions of the hair; and the storedheat is conducted therefrom to the member 9 when working in the denserportion of the hair.

With the device as above described it is obvious that the barber mayneatly and quickly trim the hair of a patron and at the same time singeeach severed hair. The attenuated edges 14 of the member 9 materiallyaid in the neatness and rapidity of the work. By providing the heatstorage reservoirs l1 and 12, the member 9 is main- 1 that there is nochance for any hair to become clogged in the device.

All conducting parts of the device, with the exception of the severingelement 9, are completely covered and insulated, so

that there is no chance of shock or burning by coming in contact withthe handle or frame. The member 9 is integral with the other portions ofthe conductor so that there is no chance of it becoming loosened ordetached with consequent burning or shocking the barber or patron. Byhaving the singeing element remote from the other portions of the devicethe hair may be severed at any desired length and not merely trimmed atthe ends. Furthermore, the device is of neat appearance, light and easyto manipulate and will not readily get out of order.

It is obvious that the cross section of the element 9 may be of anydesired form; that is, round or tapered to form one or two severingedges 14, and that the edge or edges may be faced in any desireddirection. The barber shop should be equipped with devices having thedifferent forms, which devices can be quickly interchanged by means ofthe separable connection 6-7. Also, a suitable fixed resistance or arheostat can be interposed in the circuit; but as this is an old andwell known feature, it is not illustrated or claimed.

I claim:

A device of the class described comprising a handled frame having a pairof la erally extending arms, a severing and singeing element supportedbetween the ends of said arms and comprising a single straightconducting element supported only at the ends and laterally tapered toform a longitudinal severing edge, an electric conductor in said framewith said severing and singeing element in series therewith, allportions of said conductor except said element being insulated,substantially as described.

LEI-IR MARLIN BAYNHAM.

